I caught the warning in a rural newspaper that now we are moving into planting season, watch out for slow-moving farm vehicles as they go from field to field or barn to field.
Good point to keep in mind now through the end of the growing season. Unless you are driving s a Sherman Tank, you and your vehicle really should not tangle with an Allis Chalmers, Case, Deere, International Harvester, Moline or other tractor make and model. Or get in a tussle with a big cultivator.
That applies later on to top combines, as well. Even passing them is dicey. A few weeks ago I was westbound on M-89 and stuck behind a slow convoy of cars and trucks. Leading the pack was a mammoth John Deere pulling a 12-bottom plow.
Sure enough, some fellow not interested in enjoying the scenery tried an end-run rush ahead and apparently misjudged everything. His car was in the ditch and he did not look happy with himself.
It could have been a lot worse. Late winter and early spring is a rough time for farmers. Once the temperature warms, they are in the machinery shed making sure every nut, bolt, belt and joint is lubricated and in place
When they start planting, the push long and hard to get everything done. Most are just kids at heart who love playing with their big toys. A few will even polish the tractor tires. Others will drive their tractor into town for a cup of coffee, just for the joy of being on the tractor seat, never mind that they don’t have an enclosed and heated cab.
This year is rough for most farmers. Between bird flu, interest rates, weather forecasts and whatever our federal government is doing with tariffs, the American farmer is again taking it on the chin.
The government promises to do the right thing by them, but they have heard that song before. The last time there were tariffs and serious economic difficulties, more small farms sold out than ever before. Many who survived that rough time fear they might not be so lucky now.
Meanwhile farmers get blamed for the high cost of groceries even when it’s not their fault. The other day I was in the grocery store’s produce section when another customer went into rant about how the price of avocados had gone way up. He blamed American farmers even though the produce comes from Latin America.
Be nice. The farmers are on our side and we need them.
Another thing to keep in mind is that at this time of the year farmers are often hauling spreader-wagons loaded with a barnyard organic fertilizer from their fields. Good stuff for growing things, so this is an important part of their spring work.
Trust me; you do not want to get too close to the business end of a spreader. Do not be like the couple I saw in a car with New Jersey license plates. They got behind the tractor and wagon and decided to test their horn repeatedly, apparently believing that the longer they blew it, the faster the tractor would go.
This was not going to have a happy ending. All that horn blowing rattled the farmer, who mistakenly turned the wrong gizmo on the tractor. I suspected this might happen, so I backed way off and rolled up the windows. That powder-blue car was pelted with lumps of very wet, aromatic brown stuff.
Right away, they pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the damage. There was not much they could do but drive to the next town and hope it had a car wash.
I kept my distance as I followed behind the tractor and wagon, and less than a minute later the farmer turned off the road into his field. If only the folks in the out-of-state car had been more patient … but then, theywouldn’t have a story with which they could regale their friends once home.
While we are on the subject, if you see a “honey wagon” behind a tractor, keep your distance. “Honey wagon” is something of a misnomer because it does not smell sweet. Its contents are liquefied barnyard organic fertilizer and the aroma comes with extra potency. Keep your eyes on the bar at the back of the wagon and little nozzles on it.
The best thing to do is treat all tractors and farm equipment on the road like it is your Great Aunt Tildey taking her Olds 98 out for the first Sunday afternoon drive in a decade. Give the farmer some distance and don’t fluster and rattle him or her.
Meanwhile, remember spring is when smaller wildlife likes to go for after-dark strolls. In particular, be wary of those cute little black-and-white creatures. Hitting one of them isn’t as dangerous as a deer or even a turkey, but trust me you don’t want to hit a skunk. Each and every one gives off an aroma that keeps on giving.
The good news is by July, when temperatures hit 90° the smell of the spreader or honey wagon will have mostly gone away.
